Various types of tow bars have been devised heretofore which are connectable to the front end of an automobile to permit towing the automobile behind another vehicle.
One such device has comprised a bumper support connectable to the front bumper of the towed vehicle, the bumper support having a tongue extending forwardly from the towed vehicle and connectable to the trailer hitch of a towing vehicle. Such devices must be removed to permit use of the towed vehicle or the tongue must be pivoted upwardly and somehow secured to prevent engagement with the ground.
Other vehicle towing devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,183,478; U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,036; U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,815 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,823.
When a vehicle is being towed, if the drive wheels of the towed vehicle are in rolling engagement with the roadway, the universal joints and transmission of the vehicle may experience unnecessary wear. Further, since the odometer of the vehicle generally registers rotation of the drive wheels, the odometer indicates that the vehicle has been driven a distance which is equal to the sum of the distance actually driven plus the distance which the vehicle has been towed. This results in substantial reduction of the resale value of the vehicle.
Heretofore, it has been necessary to raise the frame of the towed vehicle a substantial distance above the roadway to assure clearance of the wheels of the vehicle because springs urge the front wheels downwardly when the frame of the vehicle is elevated.